Is Windows Defender Adequate

Is that considered adequate for a real basic user? I rarely visit any 'odd' sites, dont open
'odd' emails, limited basic surfing, reading news, etc. But the other day, doing usual stuff, I got "this computer is blocked", do not try to restart. It said windows support/security/msft edge, server learntopurchase.site asking for username and password. a number to call for help 1-855-618-4111. Looked official. I tried restarting and shutting down few times anyway, but it still popped up and froze almost everything. Got all flustered, can't even recall how I got out of it, was tempted to call the 'help' number shown, but thought it might be another slam/fake.

ImLost said:

Is that considered adequate for a real basic user?

Yes.


Test antivirus software for Windows 10 - August 2019 | AV-TEST

But it can be made better, detecting PUPs in addition. This is built in to every edition from Home up, but normally only enabled on Enterprise systems.

Enable or Disable Windows Defender PUA Protection in Windows 10

But the other day, doing usual stuff, I got "this computer is blocked", do not try to restart

That is not likely to be malware, it is usually just a website popup - 'scareware' designed to panic you into doing something stupid (like calling the number).

The av test shows that windows defender only placed #15 in the tests? Doesnt seem very good.

Dont know what the enterprise system is, or what edition of w10 I have. Shouldnt pua always be enabled? I'll just have to try to do that process. I don't know tech stuff about computers at all.

I now remember I was able to fix it yesterday by clearing history, I think, but rest of things on screen were frozen, just got lucky clickin somewhere that was not frozen.

ImLost said:

Is that considered adequate for a real basic user? I rarely visit any 'odd' sites, dont open
'odd' emails, limited basic surfing, reading news, etc. But the other day, doing usual stuff, I got "this computer is blocked", do not try to restart. It said windows support/security/msft edge, server learntopurchase.site asking for username and password. a number to call for help 1-855-618-4111. Looked official. I tried restarting and shutting down few times anyway, but it still popped up and froze almost everything. Got all flustered, can't even recall how I got out of it, was tempted to call the 'help' number shown, but thought it might be another slam/fake.

Next time you get one of those fake pop up warnings, don't click OK in the box or even cancel, just press ALT+F4 together and the window will close and get rid of it instantly. Occasionally that doesn't work though, so you can do one of two things. Go into Task Manager and close the Internet Explorer or Edge process down and restart your PC OR go to the Start Menu and Restart your PC. Any of these options will get rid of that warning message completely for you.
I use Windows Defender and IMHO it is perfectly fine for Home use. I used to only ever use McAfee Antivirus or Norton. Because Id read good reports about Windows Defender I decided to give it a go about 6 months ago...absolutely no regrets. I also use Malwarebytes Free once a week and run a manual scan with it. Malwarebytes is good at detecting PUP's also. Malwarebytes hasn't found one thing that Windows Defender has missed yet. But its just an extra precaution I take

After having read that the new Windows Defender is much improved I decided to try it, so I switched from Kaspersky Free to Defender and after using it I am still not convinced it's as good as Kaspersky so I've switched back.
Each to their own I suppose but I feel better protected using Kaspersky, probably because Defender had such a poor name in the beginning.

ImLost said:

The av test shows that windows defender only placed #15 in the tests? Doesnt seem very good.

The test results are sorted in alphabetical order by manufacturer's name. That's why #1 has a lower score than #2. Click any column to sort it how you wish, the red arrow indicates which sort order you are seeing.

Bree said:

The test results are sorted in alphabetical order by manufacturer's name. That's why #1 has a lower score than #2. Click any column to sort it how you wish, the red arrow indicates which sort order you are seeing.

@Bree

Those tests are invariably worse than useless --apart from magazines etc having "an axe to grind" by sponsorship / other interests.

The whole point of "Real time protection" is just that "Real time". A test produced days or even weeks before current date (usually there's a few WD updates every week often daily !!) can be so out of date by the time it's available in these mags that it's about as much use as a "chocolate teapot".

Also these things are conducted in labs against "artificially installed viruses". If you want to do these sorts of tests just grab a whole slew of random people and get them to start downloading stuff from The Pirate bay or other warez / torrent sites and see whose computer gets infected and with what.

Actually these days you are most unlikely to get infected by using some of these sites -- it's all about money these days and these site owners don't want to lose advertising revenue which they would do if users of these sites were having problems with a load of malware --I think places like TPB now ban users if they upload stuff containing malware now.

I'm not advocating the use / pirating of copyrighted material but you have to ask yourselves with the amount of paranoid in this section -- where exactly are people getting malware and pups from .

A reality check is if you actually go out and LOOK for a virus to install and test -- it's not so easy -- so if it's really hard to find one and deliberately install it - think how much harder one will get installed by accident. !!!!

BTW if you DO test any of these things please backup existing machine first and conduct your test with the machine isolated from the Internet -- you don't surely want to be responsible for launching a world wide virus attack accidentally !!!! at least hopefully not.

Cheers
jimbo

sportsfan148 --- I'll make note of alt+f4 thing, but might have been frozen too, and task mgr might have been frozen too, I don't know. But clicking restart was not frozen, but it did NOT work, tried 3 times....comp did restart, but came back same way.. Same with pressing the off button.

Just got lucky clicking everywhere, I think a spot that said help/support said try clearing history, think I did that, something else, another restart or shutdown, then it came back to normal.

I was pretty shook up about it though, I've always had incredible real bad luck with comps only lasting a year or two b4 some weird disaster strikes and I have to buy another one. Im on fourth computer in six or seven years.

damn, I probably understand about half of all that, have to hope I can figure it all out if/when it happens again.
I said I had cleared history, isnt that same as 'deleting temp int files and cookies'?
'nuclear option'??
I had said I did try the restart and shutdown, no go.
"reset" the browser? (I use msft edge)...sounds like that means clearing...'everything'?...not just 'clearing history'? Will put things aside, hope I dont keep having this issue alot, eventually end up with comp #5.